Industrial furnaces, particularly furnaces capable of operating under pressure or vacuum, may use electrical heating elements. For example, graphite can be used as a heating element by passing current through the graphite element. The heating element is typically connected to a metal current carrier which supplies the electrical current and may also provide mechanical support for the heating element.
The heating element and the metal current carrier typically will have different rates of thermal expansion. It is desirable to have a connector that can maintain good electrical contact with the heating element while accommodating the different rates of thermal expansion.
The heating element may take the form of a rectangular block or sheet. The metal current carriers may be connected at the two ends of the heating element, typically the ends that are furthest apart. It is desirable that the connector be adjustable so that the heating element can be attached without inducing mechanical stresses or strains in the heating element, which may be brittle.